Sterile enviroment for babies or germs make them strong?

My sister's having the same argument with her other half at the moment.

All I know is that I was born two days after my next door neighbour who was my best friend throughout school. We were exposed to the same environments at the same time. My family has a history of picking up bugs easily so was always getting stomach bugs etc up until I was 5 or so. He was picking up the same bugs so his parents went the whole Dettol everything approach whereas I was allowed to get dirty, eat bugs etc. He is always off work with the current bug that's being passed around, whereas I'm only ever off work if I've managed to fall of the bike!!

If I ever have kids they're getting dirty and building up immunities. It's what the body is designed to do.

Sterilising things only creates a level playing field of opportunity for the first bacteria that land on it, nasties can get established quickly if there are no competing organsisms to keep them down. This is why natrual cleansers, lemon juice, vinegar etc are better than dettol and domestos.

This is why natrual cleansers, lemon juice, vinegar etc are better than dettol and domestos.

why? do natural cleaners leave a load of "good bacteria"?

I've got a picture somewhere of my kid sister (aged about 2)sat in the back yard eating a handful of mud.

not sure if there's photo evidence but as a toddler on holiday my sister sat on newquay harbour beach eating sand and chewing crabs legs (which could have been there a while) apart from a propensity for religion and having moved to cornwall permanently she doesn't appear to have suffered ill effects.

We didn't go overboard the disinfectant* and the kids were/are always eating stuff off the floor. Seem ok when they're on their own but as soon as they go to nursery they come home riddled with coughs, colds ets

Ours were breastfed, so we never really did bottles. When we did, they were just filled with boiling water from the kettle, given a bit of a shake and then the water poured over the outside of the teat.

They didn't have dummies, but were keen on sucking one of our knuckles or a keyring. I know we never sterilised or disinfected any of their toys.

We started all clean and tidy, and then when they were 11months and 2yrs, we moved into a caravan whilst we mucked about renovating and extending a house. Then it all got a bit mucky, to the stage that nursery had to point out that our youngest had worms. So slightly cleaner after that. One is mostly well and rarely misses school. The other catches everything, so I really have no idea whats best.